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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. current — happening now
  4. court — of law
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. track — a path
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. current — of water
  11. pop — to visit
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. track — a song
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. track — to keep track
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. court — of a king
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — a partner
  21. current — electric
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — music
  24. court — for sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com